Health policy analyst Martyn Goddard says efficiencies in the hospital system are needed to prevent further cost blowouts.Source: News Limited

THE state’s troubled hospital system can be fixed, say a health policy analyst and doctor and nurse groups.

Martyn Goddard said Tasmania was overpaying massively for drugs and some doctors, and effectively had five health bureaucracies, with little information filtering through to ministers and key decision makers.

The result – detailed in an Australian Health and Welfare Report – was a public hospital system full of tragic mistakes, he said.

Mr Goddard said it was no wonder Tasmania’s hospitals were doing badly by patients, with an over-reliance on junior doctors, almost 100 per cent bed occupancy – over 85 per cent was considered unsafe – and nurses doing double shifts.

“We need to reorganise the statewide administration so lines of responsibility are clear and end up with the minister taking responsibility,” he said.

Comments on this story

Alex Tucker of Hobart Posted at 7:51 PM June 12, 2014

Agree with Tom Whithers expect to say that Nurses Union would not allow it either. Enrolled nurses suck the system dry like some of the over paid nurses. Drs? they are in a whole other category, $1million is not usual, nor is it rare!

Leigh McQueeney of Queensland Posted at 6:28 PM June 11, 2014

Many years at the RHH has given me my experience Don. I started there when all nurse training was conducted at the hospital, and saw the introduction of the Nursing degree. Saving money was the primary impetus for introducing the degree, with a substantially broader knowledge and experience, and ability to do combined degrees a distant second. I thought you were a business person. Anyone who operates a business knows the on costs are similar for all employees and there is only a few dollars difference between employing someone who is qualified and someone who isn't. I would also point out there was a massive difference in the number of support staff when I started at the RHH compared to when I finished.

Leonard Colquhoun of Launceston Posted at 12:45 PM June 11, 2014

Message for the next Health system saviour: understand that we do NOT have a hospital 'system'; we have several sets of hospital arrangements. Therefore, no one-size-fits-all solution. And, remember, that idea does not even work for socks.